IN YOUR OPINION

Letters to the editor for Feb. 13, 2012

Published: Monday, February 13, 2012 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 4:40 p.m.

Aerial assault

Almost daily in Dunnellon there is an aerial assault to the senses in the form of an obnoxious dive-bombing airplane. Our serenity is predictably shattered as this inconsiderate person invades the tranquility with this incessant annoying noise.

Kayaking the Rainbow River today? How about hiking with your friends in our beautiful state parks or enjoying the solitude with your dog on the greenway paths? Gardening in your yard, enjoying your morning coffee? Bird watching or riding your horse on the equestrian trails and all other outdoor activities this area promotes are accompanied by the constant drone this noise pollution creates?

Well, get ready to listen for hours on end as he joyrides in the sky with no regard for others.

Why aren’t airplanes regulated to be equipped with sound-deadening devices? This sensation is so loud that even indoors with windows closed one is still subjected to the clamor.

This type of activity must be stopped. One person should not be repeatedly allowed to hold captive our rights to peace and quiet.

Nanci E. Sherman

Dunnellon

Accountability, at last

Regarding the Feb. 5 letter, “Stearns and the GOP agenda”, calling Rep. Cliff Stearns’ Planned Parenthood investigation an “assault:” Planned Parenthood facilities received one-third of a billion tax dollars last year, and so far I’ve found another $188 million, and still counting, for sex education programs.

Yet Congress has never held them accountable for these monies.

Where are these facilities which perform mammograms? There’s no indication that they’re done in all/most of their facilities. Results of Planned Parenthood audits in California, Washington state and New York City’s Medicaid show millions of dollars in fraud, necessitating proof of all claimed services.

Also, over 38 years they’ve received billions of tax dollars for sex education, as being “necessary to reduce teen pregnancies,” yet no teen pregnancy figures exist to prove success or failure.

Planned Parenthood’s own, most current report, states the teen pregnancy rate is only an “estimate” based on the birth rate, and “estimates” of abortion and miscarriage rates. Where’s the logic in giving billions of tax dollars based on an estimate, derived from other estimates? Actually, the “birth” rate is used interchangeably with estimated “pregnancy” rates, deceptively implying their program’s success.

Congratulations, Stearns, for being the first member of Congress to hold Planned Parenthood accountable.

Sandi Trusso

Ocala

Kindness in Ocala

On our anniversary of 58 years, we decided to celebrate by eating at our favorite restaurant, Aunt Fannie’s. We stopped at the red light on U.S. 27 and Northwest 27th Avenue. Our car stalled and wouldn’t start.

A very kind young man stopped and pushed our car off the road. A very nice young woman came over an asked my wife if she wanted to use her cellphone and made the call for her to AAA. She even wanted to wait with us, but I told her we would be OK. She walked us to our car and told us to get inside and lock our doors before she left. The kind young man also wanted to stay, but I told him he helped enough.

How lucky we were these dear young people came along. A police officer also stopped and offered help. This was on a Sunday after 6 p.m.

We told a friend about our ordeal and she insisted on taking us out to dinner.

We have always loved Ocala because of the kind and caring people. God bless them all.

Don Sandburg

Ocala

Work of the people

I am at a loss to figure out the thinking of the American people, if indeed, they are thinking at all. We are at a very important turning point in our lives — to vote into office those candidates who will do the work of the people.

It seems that a great many Americans are voting on race, creed and color — mostly race and color. They aren’t concerned that many of our candidates have very colored pasts.

Newt Gingrich is a disgrace to the true meaning of marriage. He talks about core values, but I think this apple has a rotten core. And what really bothers me is that now he has converted to Catholicism. What has happened to the beliefs of the Catholic Church? (I am a Catholic.) In the past, the church made a huge issue of people wanting to marry a divorced person. Never mind that their spouse was abusive, or in some case worse, others (like me) lost their spouse and wanted to make a new life for themselves. Something is mighty wrong here.

Some Americans say President Barack Obama hasn’t done enough, or some even say he has done nothing. He inherited huge debts and other enormous problems left behind by a Republican administration — an administration only interested in going to war as a personal payback for a family issue. Our young men and women gave their lives to accommodate these selfish motives. And what are we doing for those whose families did make such sacrifices? Not nearly enough.

What is most amusing of all is that Gingrich is attempting to take credit for what was done under President Bill Clinton. It seems that he, like a lot of other people, are forgetting how uncooperative Republicans were then and now.

Come on, America! Get back on track and get some real backbone and vote into office those who will truly do the work of the people!

<p><b>Aerial assault</b></p><p>Almost daily in Dunnellon there is an aerial assault to the senses in the form of an obnoxious dive-bombing airplane. Our serenity is predictably shattered as this inconsiderate person invades the tranquility with this incessant annoying noise.</p><p>Kayaking the Rainbow River today? How about hiking with your friends in our beautiful state parks or enjoying the solitude with your dog on the greenway paths? Gardening in your yard, enjoying your morning coffee? Bird watching or riding your horse on the equestrian trails and all other outdoor activities this area promotes are accompanied by the constant drone this noise pollution creates?</p><p>Well, get ready to listen for hours on end as he joyrides in the sky with no regard for others.</p><p>Why aren't airplanes regulated to be equipped with sound-deadening devices? This sensation is so loud that even indoors with windows closed one is still subjected to the clamor.</p><p>This type of activity must be stopped. One person should not be repeatedly allowed to hold captive our rights to peace and quiet.</p><p><i>Nanci E. Sherman</p><p>Dunnellon</i></p><p><b>Accountability, at last</b></p><p>Regarding the Feb. 5 letter, “Stearns and the GOP agenda”, calling Rep. Cliff Stearns' Planned Parenthood investigation an “assault:” Planned Parenthood facilities received one-third of a billion tax dollars last year, and so far I've found another $188 million, and still counting, for sex education programs. </p><p>Yet Congress has never held them accountable for these monies.</p><p>Where are these facilities which perform mammograms? There's no indication that they're done in all/most of their facilities. Results of Planned Parenthood audits in California, Washington state and New York City's Medicaid show millions of dollars in fraud, necessitating proof of all claimed services.</p><p>Also, over 38 years they've received billions of tax dollars for sex education, as being “necessary to reduce teen pregnancies,” yet no teen pregnancy figures exist to prove success or failure.</p><p>Planned Parenthood's own, most current report, states the teen pregnancy rate is only an “estimate” based on the birth rate, and “estimates” of abortion and miscarriage rates. Where's the logic in giving billions of tax dollars based on an estimate, derived from other estimates? Actually, the “birth” rate is used interchangeably with estimated “pregnancy” rates, deceptively implying their program's success.</p><p>Congratulations, Stearns, for being the first member of Congress to hold Planned Parenthood accountable.</p><p><i>Sandi Trusso</p><p>Ocala </i></p><p><b>Kindness in Ocala</b></p><p>On our anniversary of 58 years, we decided to celebrate by eating at our favorite restaurant, Aunt Fannie's. We stopped at the red light on U.S. 27 and Northwest 27th Avenue. Our car stalled and wouldn't start.</p><p>A very kind young man stopped and pushed our car off the road. A very nice young woman came over an asked my wife if she wanted to use her cellphone and made the call for her to AAA. She even wanted to wait with us, but I told her we would be OK. She walked us to our car and told us to get inside and lock our doors before she left. The kind young man also wanted to stay, but I told him he helped enough.</p><p>How lucky we were these dear young people came along. A police officer also stopped and offered help. This was on a Sunday after 6 p.m.</p><p>We told a friend about our ordeal and she insisted on taking us out to dinner.</p><p>We have always loved Ocala because of the kind and caring people. God bless them all.</p><p><i>Don Sandburg</p><p>Ocala</i></p><p><b>Work of the people</b></p><p>I am at a loss to figure out the thinking of the American people, if indeed, they are thinking at all. We are at a very important turning point in our lives — to vote into office those candidates who will do the work of the people.</p><p>It seems that a great many Americans are voting on race, creed and color — mostly race and color. They aren't concerned that many of our candidates have very colored pasts.</p><p>Newt Gingrich is a disgrace to the true meaning of marriage. He talks about core values, but I think this apple has a rotten core. And what really bothers me is that now he has converted to Catholicism. What has happened to the beliefs of the Catholic Church? (I am a Catholic.) In the past, the church made a huge issue of people wanting to marry a divorced person. Never mind that their spouse was abusive, or in some case worse, others (like me) lost their spouse and wanted to make a new life for themselves. Something is mighty wrong here.</p><p>Some Americans say President Barack Obama hasn't done enough, or some even say he has done nothing. He inherited huge debts and other enormous problems left behind by a Republican administration — an administration only interested in going to war as a personal payback for a family issue. Our young men and women gave their lives to accommodate these selfish motives. And what are we doing for those whose families did make such sacrifices? Not nearly enough. </p><p>What is most amusing of all is that Gingrich is attempting to take credit for what was done under President Bill Clinton. It seems that he, like a lot of other people, are forgetting how uncooperative Republicans were then and now.</p><p>Come on, America! Get back on track and get some real backbone and vote into office those who will truly do the work of the people!</p><p><i>Patricia C. Hess</p><p>Dunnellon</i></p>